Episode 6 - When God Replants Your Life with Kristen Friend

What if the place you were trying to leave was the very place God was calling you to help transform? In this episode of the Rise Up Podcast, Jason and Nate sit down with Kristen Friend, Executive Director of Ministry at Rise, to talk about how a casual stop at Stomping Grounds turned into a Spirit-led redirection, a family mission, and a life fully poured out for the gospel in Gresham. Kristen shares the honest story of coming from a deeply rooted church community on the west side, sensing the Holy Spirit in an ordinary coffee shop, and stepping into a tiny young church that her husband knew was “it” before she did. She also opens up about the family vision that once pulled them toward Wyoming, the season away that exposed deeper fears, and the moment God made it clear that the place they were looking for was heaven—not a perfect place on earth. Then the conversation moves into mission, legacy, and what it means to build a church for generations you may never meet. Kristen reflects on raising a family on mission, why ministry joy outweighs ministry difficulty, and how the Pacific Northwest has forged a unique unity among churches that know the gospel is too urgent for petty division. If you’ve ever wrestled with discontent, wondered whether you’re in the right place, or needed fresh courage to take the next faithful step, this episode will help you lift your eyes and see the bigger story God is writing. Challenge: Are you chasing the perfect place, the perfect life, or the perfect circumstances? Ask God to show you where He has already planted you—and what it would look like to stop searching for heaven somewhere else and start bringing its hope right where you are.